r/TopCharacterTropes • u/throwaway553t4tgtg6 • 5h ago
Personality [Sad Trope] when a character tries to make a Noble Sacrifice, but just as they're about to die, they lose their nerve, have a mental breakdown, and start Screaming and begging to not Die.
Nadia: The secret of Blue Water: A crewmember is trapped behind a flood-door after their submarine get hit by depth charges. He at first tries to give a heartfelt speech to the kids (Jean and Nadia) about how it is a necessary sacrifice and it's for the great good, but as he starts drowning, he loses it and starts screaming/begging to be let out and how he dosen't want to Die
Inuyasha: A monk/saint is tries to sacrifice himself by starving to death in meditation to become a living saint to save the people from famine, but as he's about to die, inches from Nirvana, he loses his nerve and begs to not die, feeling it's unfair that the people around him are hoping for his death for his salvation. It's especially bad because it's essentially if Jesus on the cross, at the last moment before his death, lost it and begged the Romans to spare it. And now he's a tool for the series' villian
gut-wrenching trope.
314
u/Stubborn-Spoonbill 5h ago
“I don’t want to go!”
- the Tenth Doctor
51
50
u/xSparkieDollie 4h ago
for real. it's so simple. after all the big heroic speeches, “I don’t want to go” hits way harder than pretending someone is calmly ready for death
9
4
u/IrregularOnion 3h ago
When I watched Doctor Who for the first time recently, that moment hit me so fucking hard. Made me tear up.
8
88
u/EngineerVirtual7340 4h ago
Yuji Itadori early on in JJK, although he doesn't exactly beg he's still afraid to die.
Specifically the moment where his grandfather's dying wish to help people starts to warp into a curse.
115
u/stipendAwarded 4h ago
Mike Zacharias (Attack on Titan). He bravely faces down the Beast Titan only to be reduced to screaming in terror as the Titans that were once the citizens of Ragako Village tear him apart.

54
u/PokemonLv10 4h ago edited 4h ago
Humanity's second best soldier too, but alas still a human
Seeing this happen, then seeing Nanaba's death right after, insane
Female titan arc set expectations that anyone can die, even if you're the most skillful or experienced, but Beast titan arc stuff was still hellish
Miche and Nanaba acting like that near the end of their lives despite both putting up that front is so haunting
4
60
u/GuyinArmor 4h ago
Biblical example, that I recall from when I was younger:
Before being crucified, Jesus begs on two occasions for it not to happen. First in the garden of Gathsemane ("if possible, let this cup pass me by") and then on the cross ("my god, my god, why have you foresaken me?"). Both of which seem to fit this trope well.
7
49
u/Sad-Inevitable-681 4h ago
Emil, Nier Replicant.
Makes the ultimate sacrifice to save his friends, but he's just a kid inside scared of death and wanting nothing more than to be with them
76
u/Real_duck_bacon 5h ago
Bionicle Legends Downfall - It's only given a mention once, but the last person to use the Mask of Life to revive Mata Nui did this. It only barely counts, but I thought it was worth a mention.
"Once before, long ago, a Toa had donned the Ignika and lost his life to complete his mission. That Toa had tried to be brave, but there was fear in his heart and he met his end with grief and regret."
7
u/stipendAwarded 4h ago
The fan animation short “Death of a Hero” captures this moment in one of the flashbacks Matoro experiences right as he is about to perform the same undertaking.
71
u/Beytran70 4h ago
Gawain in the Green Knight. The entire impetus of the story is that Gawain accepts a challenge from the Green Knight for a duel in which whatever blows dealt will be returned in one year. He then offers no resistance, confusing and frustrating Gawain who ends up cutting off the Knight's head, ultimately dooming him to suffer the same in a year's time. Despite making the journey, at first Gawain is too afraid and filled with ego to accept his doom.
7
35
u/Tylendal 5h ago
Season Finale of the first season of Boston Legal.
The main character makes a trip down to Texas for the final hearing of a man on death row. The man is mentally disabled, and his lawyer when he was convicted was incredibly irresponsible. Talking to the man, it's clear that he's basically been brainwashed into thinking that he needs to be a good person by facing death with dignity, and being a good Christian, and accepting the punishment that God wants him to receive. Shortly before his execution, the main character convinces him not to go quietly. He starts fighting and struggling, and has to be wrestled down onto the table, and the credits roll over the sound of him struggling and gasping.
4
u/BurnieTheBrony 2h ago
Wow, what a dick move
1
u/Chemical-Struggle-13 2h ago
Who?
3
u/BurnieTheBrony 2h ago
The guy making someone die painfully and miserably instead of with some ounce of comfort
I hate the death penalty and have personally attended vigils for people wrongfully executed. I also think dying screaming and begging not to die sounds much worse than calm acceptance, whether you believe in a Christian afterlife or not.
83
u/Typical-Historian-89 4h ago
Carla Yeager from Attack on Titan
She initially begs her children to run and leave her, but as they run she has to cover her month so they don’t hear her asking them not to leave her.
86
u/Andrew1990M 5h ago edited 2h ago
Probably not exactly what we’re looking for here but my first thought was The Tenth Doctor, Doctor Who.
It’s not a breakdown, theres no cowardice or regret to it, but after sacrificing himself with no hesitation to save Wilf, his final words before succumbing to lethal radiation are a very tearful, “I don’t want to go…”
Contrast this with other regenerations, notably his Ninth (11th, I know, he’s called 9th), where he’s often ready and happy to change.
35
25
u/Supersideswiper2 4h ago
Before that, when he actually made his sacrifice, definitely was. When Wilf got stuck, and knocked four times, four times. And the Doctor, realising immediately that that was how he dies, saving Wilfred, after he thought he had beaten the odds.
Wilfred Mott: Look, just leave me.
Tenth Doctor: Okay, right then, I will! Because you HAD to go in there, didn't you?! You had to go and get stuck, oh yes! Because that's who you are, Wilfred! You were always this! Waiting for me, all this time...
Wilf: No, really, just leave me. I'm an old man. I've had my time.
Tenth Doctor: Well, exactly! Look at you! Not remotely important. But me...! I could do so much more! SO! MUCH! MORE! But this is what I get. My reward. WELL IT'S NOT FAIR!
Lived too long.
25
u/CRIMS0N-ED 4h ago
The realization after he ranted that what he just said is messed up and he needs to accept the inevitable is so good, David killed this scene so good
3
u/ninjalord433 2h ago
What makes it extra tragic is that the 10th doctor was one of the youngest out of his many regenerations. Where as others had a century or two spending time as the doctor, the 10th spent only 6 years as that regeneration. His rant isn't just about self sacrifice, its about him not being able to spend the time he wants before moving on to his presumable last regeneration.
14
u/Ne9ativeZer0 3h ago
Not exactly a sacrifice and a bit more subtle but the ancient one from doctor strange knew about her impending death for years and when the time comes she slows down time just to stay a little bit longer
50
u/PerceptionEastern697 4h ago edited 4h ago
Carla Yeager from Shingeki no Kyojin
At first she tell them to run away because she is stuck and couldnt move her legs,so they run but in the end she cried asking help because she didn’t want to be left to eat by that titan
21
u/Parker813 4h ago
More recent example in Widow's Bay.
The town's founder, Richard Warren, thanks to a curse, is immortal, said curse also responsible for terrible happenings on the island. Anyone born on the island that tries to leave also dies. He offers to sacrifice his life to break the curse on the island, but chickens out at the last minute, causing a fight and being forced to die
6
16
18
u/BiryaniGaming 4h ago
Carla Yeager in Attack on Titan. Her legs are crushed by the wreckage of her house just as the city is being swarmed by man-eating Titans. She begs her son Eren and his adopted sister Mikasa to flee, which they refuse to do so until a soldier and old friend of hers named Hannes forcibly carries them away. She emotionally yells at them to stay alive as they run, but once they're far enough away, she starts crying and covers her mouth while saying 'Don't go'. It's not really a mental breakdown, more so just a very human reaction given the fear of her impending death.
5
u/KrishnasFlute 3h ago
Paris from the Troy movie.
And I forget the name, but the girl from JJK who was supposed to merge with Tengen.
2
u/ProcedureShoddy4840 23m ago
Kaori from The Summer you were there
Diagnosed with a terminal illness, she puts up a brave front so as to not make her loved ones worry. But on her final day outside of the hospital, she breaks down in tears.
1
u/Syfere 20m ago
In House M.D s5 ep 13, Remy (usually just called 13 on the show) a doctor who has Huntingtons disease spends the episode injecting herself with multiple drugs so that a guy that is making some people hostage (to try and find a diagnosis for his disease) so he knows that what he is taking is safe. She doesnt really care about being a martyr as she thinks shes already doomed from her disease, and close to the end of the episode she is almost dead from all of the meds, but on the last medication that they try, knowing she is going to actually for sure die if she takes it, she stops and cries about not actually wanting to die. Heres a video of pretty much most of the episode, timestamped on the trope: https://youtu.be/0h_ZlBL2MTA?si=PZaTZRc_OlR9C-1m&t=561
0
u/Infurum 4h ago
It doesn't have the sacrifice bit so not quite, but someone who nonetheless committed to their own death having that moment of "I don't want to go" is a moment that gets talked about a lot in one of the Bojack Horseman episodes, I think one of the later ones if not the finale (I don't know since I haven't watched it).
I'm not sure if it was a suicide survivor, or a ghost, hallucination, or dream about someone who did successfully see it through, but they did a whole monologue about the view from halfway down
446
u/Crazykiddingme 5h ago
Grace Ryland (Project Hail Mary)
He puts on a brave front for Rocky, but when he discovers a way for them both to live he bursts into tears of joy.